Extension roof board



7 July 21, 1936. w. LEVY I V EXTENSION ROOF BOARD Filed May 17, 1934Patented July 21, 1936 stares PATE T QFFl-E EXTENSION ROOF BOARD iWilliam Levy, Edgewood, It. I., assignor to Moulton Ladder ManufacturingCompany, Somerville, Mass.

This invention relates to scaffolding and is herein illustrated asembodied in a portable support for swing stages. 7

In connection with the painting of some types of buildings, use iscommonly made of scaffolding, such as a swing stage, which is designedto be suspended from the roof of a building. Some constructionsheretofore employed have been suspended directly from the gutters ofbuildings, but the gutters are not always designed to withstand suchextra weight with the result that accidents due to their giving awayhave occurred, leading in some localities to the passage of regulationswhich operate to restrict or to prevent the supporting of scafioldingfrom gutters. In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the presentinvention to provide an improved support for swing stages which canreadily be secured to the ridgepole of a building, which is adjustableto the roofs of difierent pitches or spans, and which at the same timewill occupy a minimum of space when not in use. To this end, I haveprovided an extensible roof-board comprising two members in slidableengagement with each other, one of said members being provided with ahook for engaging a portion of a building and the other member beingprovided with means arranged to be engaged by a portion of a swingstage, together with devices for locking the members togetherselectively in various positions of adjustment relatively to each other.'This construction provides a swing stage support which normallyoccupies a small space but which is readily extensible to span thedistance between the ridge-pole and the eaves or gutters of a buildingand from .which a swing stage can be suspended without placing anystrain upon the gutters.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description when taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing and will be pointed out in the claims.

. In the drawing,'

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a roof-board constructed in accordancewith one embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken along lines II--II of Fig. 1; and- Fig.3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating one way of utilizing theroof-board as a support for a swing stage. 7

As shown in Fig. 1, the roof-board comprises two boards l6 and 12positioned with their side edges abutting each other and securedtogether for sliding movement relatively to each other by means of metalstraps l4, 16, I8, and 20. As shown in Fig. 2, the strap 16 extendsalong the underside of the board I0 across the board l2 and has a hookportion 22 extending over the upper edge of the board l2. The strap 20extends along the upper face of the board Ii] and has an upwardly andlaterally extending portion 24 which overlaps the edge of the board I2.- The strap !6 and the strap 20 are rigidly secured to the board H! byrivets 26. The strap I 4 and the strap l8 are arranged similarly but aresecured to the board 12 by rivets 28 and have portions extending overthe edges of the upper face of the board I0. This construction is suchthat the boards [0 and 12 are held together, but with suflicient playbetween them and the straps that the boards are freely slidablerelatively to each other.

In order that the boards It! and I2 can be rigidly secured together inadjusted position, I provide at equally spaced intervals along the upperface of the board li) a plurality of hard-wood blocks 30, 32 and 34secured to the board by bolts 35 and similar blocks 36, 3B and 40 uponthe upper face of the board 12. These blocks are so arranged along thefaces of the boards that when the boards are adjusted relatively to eachother to increase the efiective length of the device one or more pairsof blocks can be brought into lateral alinement and can be lockedtogether by means of U-shaped members 42, each of which is pivotallysecured to one of the blocks by a pin 46, and is arranged to be swunginto position to embrace an adjacent block on the other board. Onlythree pairs of blocks have been shown, but obviously a greater numbercan be used-advan tageously with long boards to give a greater number ofpossible variations in the length of the device.

The blocks have grooves or slots 48 to permit the passage of the hookportions 22 of the straps l4 and I6 and slots 50 to permit the passageof the ends 24 of the straps 20 upon relative sliding movement of theboards. The construction above outlined provides for the adjustment ofthe boards l0 and I2 relatively to each other so that the effectivelength of the roof-board can be varied to correspond to roofs ofdifferent pitches and spans, and also provides for locking together thetwo boards securely in adjusted position.

The extreme end of the board ID has a hook member 52 which is securedthereto by rivets 54, there being a rivet 55 further to strengthen theend of the board. The hook member 52 is adapted to be placed over theridge-pole of a eaves 62 of the building. A stage such as swing, stage64 can then be supported from the two ro'ofboards by means of hooks 66which are hung from the blocks 40. V v V When'the roof-board is; not inuse the'boards I 0 and 12 are adjusted relatively to 'each'other untilthe block 34 is opposite the block 40 and the clamps 42 lock theboar'dsin this position in which the length of the device is a minimum;

Thus itwill be apparent that I have provided a readily adjustableportable roof-board which can be carriedzin a small space and which isadapted to support scaffolding without placing any strain upon guttersof a building.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and'desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States is:

1 1. A support for swing stages comprising two boards arranged side byside, a guidemember secured to one of the boards and engaging portionsof the, other board for maintaining the side 7 edges of the boards inengagement with each other during longitudinal movements of the boardsrelatively to each other, a series of blocks on the face of one of theboards, and a U shaped member. pivotally mounted upon the face of theotherbo ard for movement laterally across .the faces of the boards intoposition to embrace. aselected block of the series of blocks forsecuring the boards together in adjusted position.

2,.A support for swing stages comprising two boards abutting each otheralong side edge portions thereof, means 'for holding the boards togetherfor sliding movement relatively to each other comprising ,two strapssecured to opposite i faces: of one'of the boards the straps having end.portions extending over'oppojsite edges of a face of the other board, aplurality of spaced blocks carried by, each of the boards, said blockshaving grooves along their sides to provide for the pas sage of the endportions of the straps; during rel I .ativemovement'ofthe boards, aroof-hook secured to an endof oneofthe boards, and means for clampingtwo of the blocks together for holding the boards in adjusted relation;

